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J.; E; EVANS; WIND ow MIRROR. Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

JONATHAN E. EVANS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO XVILLIAM REES EVANS, OF SAME PLACE.

WINDOW-MIRROR.

SPECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,500, dated April 15, 1890.

Application filed January 23, 1889. Serial No. 297,328 (No model.) L

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONATHAN E. Evans, a citizen of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVindow-Mirrors; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of window-mirrors usually attached to the outside sill or frame of house-windows, and which are used to enable a person seated before the window to see surrounding objects without raising the window or exposing themselves to the view of people passing in the street.

\Vindow-mirrors heretofore made and now in use have but one glass to receive the reflection from any given direction; hence the view thus obtained is the reverse of the natural view. In cities, where these mirrors are more commonly in use in front of upper-story windows in dwellings, the View thus reflected from local objects is the reverse of the original, confusing, and often annoying.

The object of my improvement is to overcome this defect by the use of duplex or double mirrors-that is, two mirrors facing each other, joined at one of their sides,- and forming an angle at which the objects reflected in one surface are again reflected to the second, and thence transmitted to the eye of the observer. All objects thus viewed ..have their natural appearance and occupy their natural relations to each other, so that clocks and signs may be easily read without annoyance.

The accompanying drawings will more fully explain the arrangement of the mirrors.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a double-view window-mirror in position, as seen from the interior of the house. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same from the street, showing the manner of attachment to the house. Fig. 3 is a side view in perspective showing the relative position of the inirrors. Fig. 4c is a View showing double-view mirrors diiferently arranged, placed one above the other. Fig. 5 is a viewin perspective of a single-view mirror attached to the window-frame, as seen from the interior of the house.

Similar numbers and letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 indicates the first reflecting-surface, which I call a negative mirror,for the reason that objects as seen reflected directly in them are reverse as regards their normal positions.

2 indicates my positive mirror, which is the mirror of view, and is usually parallel to the observer.

of all objects near and within the range of 1.

To construct-a window-mirror in which a perfect view of outside and surrounding objects may be had in two opposite directions, as up and down a street or road, I make a frame-work or case, preferably of tin, the top and bottom pieces A each resembling two triangles joined at one of their apexes and their converging inner sides being at an angle of sixty degrees. This angle is closed in by a sheet of tin B of a like angle, which is soldered to the top and bottom pieces at their edges, thus forming the front of the caseviz., the portion nearest the window. The back is made of sheet-tin of the same height as the front piece, and is likewise soldered to the top and bottom pieces and forms a plane surface O, Fig. 2. The ends of the case are open and their. planes converge in the direction opposite to the angle already described. The case thus resembles two hollow vertical trian gular' prisms.

The mirrors line the inner sides of each triangle in the following manner: I place a single mirror 2, Fig. 1, against the back of the case 0, Fig. 2, and on its inner side extending horizontally through both triangular prisms. It thus serves the place of two shorter ones. These mirrors are parallel to the observer. and are the mirrors of view. In connection therewith I place against the remaining inner sides 13 of each prism a short mirror, known as 1, and which joins 2 at an angle of sixty degrees. Mirrors 1 are the first reflectingsurface, and are diagonal to and out of view of the observer. They are only seen by their reflection in mirrors 2.

It takes the reflection from 1 and transfers them to the eye, giving a correct view To make a window-mirror in which a perfect view of but one direction is to be had, I construct but one prism-shaped case in the same manner, with the exception that the two sides of the triangle are made of a single piece of tin bent at an angle of sixty degrees and soldered to the top and bottom pieces, as described.

A combination of the two kinds of cases is shown in Fig. 4, where I make a case resembling two single or one prism cases placed one above the other and soldered thereto, connected permanently, one being open on the right side, the other on the left, thus affording a View in two opposite directions at the same time and economizing space. The mirrors are arranged similarly in this form of case as those already described. I do not wish to be confined to either form of construction.

To prevent the undue pressure of high winds and to protect the mirrors from atmospheric effects, I close the ends of each prism l with a sheet; of transparent glass extending across the angle and between the outer edges of the mirrors, which freely admits the light and permits a free View of the interior. The pressure of this end glass on the abutting edge of the mirrors, combined with the edges of the frame turned over on its face, serves to hold the mirrors in position.

In order to attach my window-mirror in position in front of a window, I provide a metal strap 5, soldered to the bottom of the case and at the juncture of two prisms, the same to allow the passage of an angle-iron 9 9, fastened to the window sill or frame by a strap 10, as seen in Fig. 2. A short iron brace 6 is riveted to the bottom of the case and at the vertices of each triangle, being parallel to the back of the case and at right angles to the angle-iron 9, to which it is secured by a thumb-screw 7, passing through a slot 8 in the angle-iron and entering a femalethreaded hole in the brace. This providesf'a strong fastening and an easy adjustment of mirrors to range with near and far objects.

I am aware that Letters Patent have been granted Short, No. 226,362, dated April 6, 1880, and I-Iooker, No. 370,623, dated September 27, 1887, for compound reflecting-mirrors. In the former case theangle used is forty-five degrees, in the latter a right angle or an equal division of a right angle, as one-half or forty-five degrees, one-quarter or twenty-two and a half degrees, one-eight or eleven and a quarter degrees. None of these angles would be suitable for the purposes of my device, for the reason I do not desire to multiply the objects reflected on the surface of the mirror, but to reverse them that they will be true to the eye in movement and direction.

The angle of sixty degrees, which I use in my invention and for which I seek Letters Patent, is the only angle in which the direct reflection of one reflecting-surface will appear in and cover the other. I am aware that the kaleidoscope is constructed with mirrors at this angle, and therefore do not claim their use, broadly. I

As glass cases containing mirrors have been in general use, I make no broad claim to the use of transparent glass in the ends of my device.

Angle-irons, braces, metal straps, and thumb-screws are in common use, and therefore I lay no claim to them, only so far as they enter into and form a part of my invention in the application of the same. I

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, in window-mirrors, of a tin frame or case consisting of one or more triangular or V-shaped prisms constructed as described, placed side by side or one above the other, the inner sides of each angle lined by plane mirrors arranged in pairs, the mir-- rors of each pair facing each other and fixed at an angle of sixty degrees, in the manner all substantially as set forth.

2. In window-mirrors, the combination of double reflecting-mirrors arranged in pairs, the mirrors of each pair facing each other and converging at an angle of sixty degrees, a transparentrglass protecting-surface, a tin case or frame forming one or more triangular prisms joining at the back, an iron brace or strap extending parallel with the back and fastened by rivets to the bottom of the case at the vertices of each triangle, a female threaded hole thumb-screw, angle-iron, and window-sill strap, for the purpose and in the manner substantially as set forth.

. JONATHAN E. EVANS.

WVitnesses:

J OSEPH C. MURPHY, DAVID RoAoH.

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